Proximity ID Hackathon focused on RFID, NFC and BLE mash-ups adds the premiere near field communication industry association as an event sponsor

March 3, 2016, Dallas, Texas — TrackHack: The Proximity ID Hackathon, the world’s first and only hackathon focused exclusively on proximity technologies like radio frequency identification (RFID), near field communication (NFC) and Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE), announced today the return of The NFC Forum as a Gold sponsor for its global hackathon series focused on proximity ID technology solutions. The NFC Forum, a non-profit industry association whose membership draws from all parts of the NFC ecosystem, works with member organizations to share development, application, and marketing expertise to develop the best possible solutions for advancing the use of Near Field Communication.

Along with partner Flomio, AccelerateNFC created TrackHack: The Proximity ID Hackathon to address the cross-over and interconnection among various proximity technologies used for mobile solutions. These technologies — RFID, NFC, BLE — are the basis of proximity ID solutions and will play a pivotal role in the Internet of Things (IoT).

As mobile becomes even more pervasive, so does the demand for creative mash-ups of these proximity-based technologies. TrackHack is the first ever proximity ID technology event where hackers and developers can access ALL proximity ID tech and do what they do best: create, innovate and disrupt. The hackathon focuses on solutions addressing security, marketing and advertising, social interactions, gaming, mobile payments, as well as track and trace. Participants will compete for cash and prizes and winners will be invited to join the next AccelerateNFC class, a competitive program where selected companies participate in an intensive 12-week mentoring program designed to provide access to resources normally beyond the reach of early stage companies.

“We are excited to welcome back The NFC Forum as an event sponsor for TrackHack Austin,” said Robert Sabella, co-founder and CEO of AccelerateNFC. “With The NFC Forum’s goals of encouraging the development of products using NFC Forum specifications and educating consumers and enterprises globally about near field communication, we felt this was a perfect partnership to bring to our proximity ID solutions hackathon. Our first event was held in London last November and was a great success, thanks to The NFC Forum. With their sponsorship, we know that the Austin event will also be a memorable event.”

Sabella added, “TrackHack’s goal is to bring new, innovative and creative proximity ID solutions applications to the forefront. That goal aligns directly with The NFC Forum’s focus on enhancing the lives of consumers worldwide and advancing its members’ business objectives.”

The next TrackHack is scheduled for March 11-13, 2016, in Austin. Visit www.trackhack.org for more details.

SOURCE: AccelerateNFC

— ABOUT —

About AccelerateNFC (http://www.acceleratenfc.com/) — AccelerateNFC is a technology-specific, idea incubator/seed accelerator for high potential companies in the Proximity ID space. Accelerate NFC focuses on near field communication (NFC) and other proximity ID technologies like Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) and Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE). We bring industry expertise, mentors, resources and funding to those companies who are ready to take their ideas and products to the next level. Up to five selected companies will participate in an intensive 12-week mentoring program designed to provide access to resources normally beyond the reach of start-up or early stage companies.

About Flomio (http://www.flomio.com/) — Disney’s Magic Band™ technology revolutionized their theme park business. Companies eager to “Disney-fy” their businesses without their own team of imagineers and billions to invest turn to Flomio, imagineers for the rest of us. Flomio creates proximity ID solutions that help enterprise clients and developers cross the chasm to web 3.0, the Internet of Things (IoT). Funded by TechStars, Flomio is fundamentally changing the way people engage with the spaces around them by making proximity ID simple to integrate, easy to deploy, and fun to use. Soon, 50 billion devices will regularly connect to the internet. Flomio’s platform empowers enterprise customers and developers to create applications that communicate with these devices. The future is ubiquitous connectivity. Flomio makes sure businesses get there first.

About The NFC Forum (http://www.nfc-forum.org/) — The NFC Forum was launched as a non-profit industry association in 2004 by leading mobile communications, semiconductor, and consumer electronics companies. The Forum’s mission is to advance the use of Near Field Communication technology by developing specifications, ensuring interoperability among devices and services, and educating the market about NFC technology. The Forum’s global member companies are currently developing specifications for a modular NFC device architecture, and protocols for interoperable data exchange and device-independent service delivery, device discovery, and device capability. The NFC Forum’s Sponsor members, which hold seats on the Board of Directors, include leading players in key industries around the world. The Sponsor members are: Apple Inc., Broadcom Corporation, Dai Nippon Printing Co. Ltd., Google, Inc., Intel, MasterCard Worldwide, NEC, Nokia, NXP Semiconductors, Qualcomm, Samsung, Sony Corporation, STMicroelectronics, and Visa Inc.